Type-writing machine.



f'. LASERE.

TYYE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2z, 1911.

Patented. July 23, 1912.

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F. LASERE.

TYPE WRTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY z2, 1911.

1,033,709. Patented July 23,1912.

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44 52 4@ ff@ M 52 d l @4L 55 4@ zu a FREDERICK LASERE, OF CLEVELAND,OHIO.

TYPE-VRITING MACHINE.

To all fw/wm t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK LAsERE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Type-Vriting Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to typewriting machines, and has for its primaryobject to provide a machine of this character in which the type isyarranged at the periphery of a rotatable wheel adapted to be manuallyturned to bring the desired type letter into position, so that the samemay be printed upon the sheet held about the platen, the rotatable wheelbeing provided with independent rows of small-letter and capitallettertype, so that an impression therefrom may be had on reciprocation of ahand actuated carriage supporting the rotatable wheel.

Another obj ect of the invention is the provision of a typewritingmachine in which the platen is automatically moved in a step by stepmanner on the reciprocation of the carriage supporting the type wheel,and that may be manually moved for a regular spacing between eachprinted word, or at any desired point in a line.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a typewritingmachine which is simple in construction, reliable and eiiicient inoperation, and inexpensive in manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure1 is afront elevation of a typewriting machineconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewthereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on theline 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail plan view with thetype wheel and carriage removed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 22, 1911.

Patented July 23, 1912.

serial No'. 639,912.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the typewriting machine comprisesa base 10 which may be made. from metal or other suitable material, andis preferably of rectangular shape, on the upper face of which, near therear end thereof, are mounted spaced parallel guide tracks 11, in whichis slidably mounted a platen supporting carriage, comprising a slidingbase plate 12, the latter at its longitudinal edges engaging in grooves13 formed in the inner edges of the tracks 11, and fixed to and risingfrom opposite ends of the base plate 12 are vertical bearings 14, inwhich is ournaled the spindle ends of a rotatable cylindrical platen 16,the same being formed at one end with a ratchet wheel 17 iixed thereto,and with which engages a spring locking dog 18 fixed to the base plate12, which is adapted to sustain the platen in adjusted position and toprevent the free rotation thereof.

Fixed to and mounted on one spindle end 15, preferably at the left sideof the platen, is a knurled hand knob or wheel 19, which permits themanual rotation of the platen, when desired, for advancing a sheettrained thereover.

Arranged beneath the platen 16 and fixed to the base plate 12 areforwardly directed resilient supports 20 provided with bearings 21 attheir forward ends, in which is journaled a guide roller 22, the latterbeing designed to contact with the platen 16 for guiding a paper sheetabout the platen, when inserted in the carriage for receiving animpression from the type upon a'type wheel, presently described.

Pivoted in the bearings 14 of the carriage are the limbs 23 of a paperholding frame 24, which isadapted to swing over the top of the platen16, so as to sustain the paper sheet trained thereover taut and in closecontact with the same, the frame 24 being connected with a coiledretractile spring 25 which is also connected with one of the bearings14, thereby exerting a constant holding the paper sheet about theplaten, so

as to prevent the slipping of the paper, when operating the machine.

Carried by the bearings 14 are substantially L-shaped arms or brackets26, the vertical portions 27 of which have detachably connected theretoan inked ribbon or strip 28 which is interposed between the platen andthe type wheel, presently described, as is usual, for transferring theimpression from the type thereon to the paper sheet upon the platensupported within the movable carriage.

Secured to the upper face of the base, medially thereof, and at rightangles to the tracks 11 are spaced parallel guide tracks 29, the samebeing provided at their inner edges with grooves 30, in which areslidably engaged the opposite longitudinal edges of a movable type wheelcarriage, comprising a base plate 31, near the inner end of which andrigidly mounted therein is a vertical type wheel supporting post 32,which rises from the base plate and has j ournaled thereon a rotatabletype wheel 33, the same carrying at its periphery, throughout thecircumference thereof, a type strip 34 formed with a plurality of rowsof type 35 and 36, the type 35 being small letters, while the type 36are capital letters.

Fixed to the upper end of the post 32 is a U-shaped horizontallydisposed member 37, in which is connected a locking dog 38 by means ofpivots 39 threaded in the limbs 40 of the said member 37, they dog 38being adapted to engage in any one of a series of indicating notches 41formed in the upper face of the type wheel adjacent to the peripherythereof, so as to hold the said wheel locked when a predetermined typeis positioned for an impression upon the paper about the platen of themachine. The rows of type 35 and 36 represent the letters of thealaphabet, which are arranged out of consecutive order, and like lettersof the two rows are arranged in alinement with each other, and upon theupper face of the type wheel 33, between the outer periphery and thenotches 41, is disposed a lettered face strip 42, the lat-ter beingprinted thereon and being in alinement with the letters in the rows oftype, so that an operator, at a glance, may determine the properposition of the type that is desired to be impressed on the paper whilein the act of writing upon the machine.

Mounted upon the outer periphery of the type wheel or formed integraltherewith, medially between the ends of the type strip 34, is alingerarm or nib 43 which permits the quick and convenient rotation of thetype wheel for the positioning of the letter desired to be impressedupon the sheet carried by the platen. Suitably fixed to the member 37 isone end of an upwardly bowed leaf spring 44, the' free end of whichfrictionally engages the dog 38, and is designed to hold the same inposition for locking engagement in the notches 41, so that when the dog38 is engaged ,in any one of said notches, the type wheel will be heldagainst rotation.

Fixed to and rising from the base'plate 31 of the type wheel supportingcarriage, forwardly of the post 32 thereon, is a bearing 45, in which isfulcrumed a depressible rocking lift bar or lever 46, the inner end ofwhich is formed with a fork 47, the branches of which extend rearwardlyat opposite sides of the post 32, and against which rests the type wheel33, the latter being normally lowered, so that the small letters in thetype row 34 will be positioned in a plane level with the axis ofrotation of the platen for impression upon the paper supported thereby,when the machine is being operated. However', it will be noted that ondepressing the bar 46, the type wheel will be raised to a plane so as tobring the capital letters in the type row 35 in a level with the axis ofrotation of the platen for the impression of any one of the same uponthe paper sheet thereon.

The type wheel carriage is reciprocatingly mounted upon the tracks 29,so that upon movement thereof toward the platen 16, the desired letterupon the type strip 34 may be brought into contact with the ribbon, soas to force the same against the paper sheet upon the platen for theimpression of the latter on said sheet, as will be clearly obvious.

Suitably connected with the type wheel carriage is one end of a coiledretractile spring 4S, the opposite end of which is suitably connected tothe base 10, so as to normally sustain the carriage in retractedposition, thereby holding the type wheel away from the inked ribbon, andin contact with a stop lug 49 fixed in the base in the path of movementof the base plate 31 of the type wheel supporting carriage.

Arranged between the type wheel supporting carriage and the platencarriage is an automaticallyV and manually operated feed mechanism foradvancing the platen carriage in step by step manner, comprising abearing 50, the same being fixed to the base 10 below the plane of thetype wheel supporting carriage, and has connected thereto a spacer leveror bar 51, the same terminating in a finger grip 52 at its outer end,and is connected with the bearing 50 by means of a pivot 53, the innerend of the lever or bar 51 being outturned to form an abutment extension54 arranged in the path of inward movement of the type wheel supportingcarriage, so that its base plate 31 will engage the same and cause theautomatic movement of the spacer bar or lever. Formed on the spacerlever or bar 51 at right angles thereto and eXtended in the direction ofthe movable carriage for the platen is a branch arm 55, the track 11adjacent thereto being provvided with a gap 56, through which the saidarm 55 extends and has pivotally connected thereto a rack pawl 57, whichengages the teeth 58 of a rack bar 59 fixed to the under face of thebase plate 12 of the platen or carriage longitudinally thereof, so thaton the advancement of the type wheel carriage toward the platencarriage, the pawl 57 will engage one of the teeth 58 of the rack bar59, and as the spacer bar or lever 51 is rocked, the said platen will becaused to advance and space between the letters, prior to the printingof a letter upon the paper sheet carried by the platen. However, it isobvious that when the spacer lever or bar 51 is manually operated in onedirection, the platen cariage will be spaced in a like mannerindependently of the movement of the type wheel carriage, but when thetype wheel carriage is operated the platen is spaced in a step-by-stepmanner in successive order, during the operation of the machine.

Pivoted upon the base 10 in the path of arcuate movement of the spacerlever or bar 51 is a swinging abutment finger 60 which limits theswinging movement of the said spacer bar or lever 51, when beingmanually or automatically moved, so as to prevent the pawl 57 fromdisengaging from the teeth 58 of the rack bar 59, thereby assuring theadvancement of the platen carriage, and when it is desired to move thecarriage to the right of the base, it is necessary to shift theabut-ment finger 6() out of the path of movement of the spacer bar orlever 51, so that the latter may be swung into contact with a stop lug61 which shifts the pawl away from the teeth 58 of the rack bar,whereupon said platen carriage can be moved toward the right of thebase, when it is desired to begin a new line upon the paper sheetcarried by the platen, or when it is desired to print upon the saidpaper sheet at any point longitudinally of the platen.

Connected with the spacer lever or bar 51 and the pawl 57 is a coiledexpansion spring 62 which is designed to sustain the said pawl 57 inpositive engagement with the teeth 58 of the rack bar 59, but willpermit said pawl 57 to trip over the teeth of the rack bar when theplaten carriage is manually shifted toward the left side of the base.Also connected with the arm 55 and to the base 10 is a coiled retractilespring 63, which is designed to sustain the spacer lever or bar 51 innormal contact with a stop lug 64 rising from the base, the spacer leverthereby holding the pawl into position for positive engagement with theteeth of the rack bar 59, so that when the extension 54 lof the saidlever or bar 51 is engaged by the type wheel carriage, the pawl willeffect the advancement of the platen carriage toward the left side ofthe base prior to the bringing of the paper sheet about the platen.

Fixed to the base 10 is a stationary finger grip 65, with which isengaged one finger of the hand, when the thumb thereof is engaged with afinger arm 66 iiXed to the type wheel carriage, so that the latter maybe conveniently and readily moved toward the platen at the printingpoint thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typewriting machine, a base, pairs of tracks arranged thereon atright angles to each other, a platen carriage slidably engaging in onepair of tracks and adapted to support an inking ribbon, a type wheelsupporting carriage movable toward and away from the platen carriage, atype wheel rotatably mounted upon and vertically adjustable on said typewheel supporting carriage, a platen journaled in said platen carriage, arack bar fixed to the under face of the platen carriage, andspacer meansengageable with the rack bar and operated by the type wheel supportingcarriage when moved in one direction for advancing the platen carriage.

2. In a typewriting machine, a base, pairs of tracks arranged thereon atright angles to each other, a platen carriage slidably engaging in onepair of tracks, a type wheel supporting carriage movable toward and awayfrom the platen carriage, a type wheel rotatably mounted upon andvertically adjustable on said type wheel supporting carriage, a platenjournaled in said platen carriage, a rack bar iXed to the under face ofthe platen carriage, spacer means engageable with the rack bar andoperated by the type wheel supporting carriage when moved in onedirection for advancing the platen carriage, the said carriage beingadapted to support an inking ribbon, means for holding the spacer meansin normal posi tion, and a hand grip on said spacer means for moving thesame out of engagement with the rack bar, whereby the platen carriagemay be manually shifted.

3. In a typewriting machine, a base, pairs of tracks arranged thereon atright angles to each other, a platen carriage slidably en gaging in onepair of tracks, a type wheel supporting carriage movable toward and awayfrom t-he platen carriage, a type wheel rotatably mounted upon andvertically ad- -justable on said type wheel supporting carriage, aplaten journaled in said platen carriage, arack bar iiXed to the underface of the platen carriage, spacer means engageable with the rack barand operated by the type wheel supporting carriage when moved in onedirection for advancing the platen carriage, the said carriage beingadapted to support an inking ribbon, means for hold- In testimonywhereof I ailix my signature ing the spacer means in normal position, ain presence of two witnesses. hand grip on saicl spacer means for movingFREDERICK LASERE the same out of engagement with the rack 5 bar,vwhereby the platen carriage may be Witnesses:

manually shifted, and means for limiting JULIAN 'FY-BELL, the movementof the spacer means. JOHN G. HINES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

